Personal cleansing system comprising a polymeric diamond-mesh bath sponge and a liquid cleanser with moisturizer

ABSTRACT

A system for cleansing the skin comprises a hydrophobic diamond-mesh sponge and a liquid cleansing and moisturizing composition with excellent lather in the same washing and rinsing operation. The system provides improved lather and overall acceptability for mild liquid cleansing compositions which contain moisturizers and especially for those which would otherwise have marginal lather.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/810,895, filed on Mar.5, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,539, which is a continuation ofapplication Ser. No. 08/455,757, filed on May 31, 1995, now U.S. Pat.No. 5,650,384; which is a continuation of application Ser. No.08/327,911 filed on Oct. 25, 1994, now abandoned; which is acontinuation of application Ser. No. 08/226,451, filed on Apr. 21, 1994,now abandoned; which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.08/080,668, filed on Jun. 18, 1993, now abandoned.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a kit comprising a personal cleansing handheld bath sponge and a personal liquid cleanser for bath or shower.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A variety of cleansing systems have been used to remove dirt and deadskin from the body and moisturize the cleansed skin. Such systemsinclude the use of moisturizing lotion after the use of a soap orsurfactant in combination with a cleaning instrument such as terry washclothes, soft and brittle, and various is cleaning pads, scouring pads,natural and synthetic sponges, etc.

Prior art cleaning and moisturizing personal cleansing kits have somedisadvantages which have limited their effectiveness in personal skincare. Many cleansers, for example, are in fact harsh. Most do notcontain an effective amount of a moisturizer. Many mild liquid cleanserstraditionally do not lather well. Likewise, some cleaning instruments donot lather well when used with liquid cleansers. This is particularly sowhen milder liquid cleansers are used. Other cleansing instrumentsbecome water logged. Some make it difficult to remove the watercontaining the removed dirt from the instrument. Some impede lather;which is especially true for liquid cleansing and moisturizingcleansers. Yet other instruments absorb the oil conditioner in cleansingand moisturizing products. Others retain the water and often developunpleasant odors, as well as become a place for breeding of bacteria,germs, mold, etc. Yet other instruments absorb the oil conditioner incleansing and moisturizing products and thereby compete with the skin.

In addition, many of the instruments have very low strength and areeasily destroyed after they have been used several times.

The need for mild skin cleansing system is made more acute by the needto wash more often to reduce body odors in city crowds and by the agingof the human population and the ever-increasing environmental insult towhich the skin is subject. The mildest skin cleansing products can, atbest, produce cleansing without negatively affecting the skin condition.To achieve an improvement in skin condition, the consumer is forced touse a second, separate product often called a "moisturizer". The use oftwo separate products to achieve the desired skin state is inconvenientand often unpleasant due to the greasy skin feel resultant from manymoisturizers. As a result, many persons suffer from the effects of poorskin condition rather than use two separate products.

There is a clear need for a system which is capable of delivering bothmild skin cleansing and a skin conditioning benefit; since most peopledon't use a moisturizer daily. Some skin cleansing products containhumectant substances which, although effective in topical application,are ineffective in cleansing products. These humectants are ineffectivebecause they are very water soluble and suffer from poor skinsubstantivity. Hydrophobic emollient materials are generally moresubstantive to the skin, but are more difficult to incorporate into anaqueous skin cleansing matrix and/or are absorbed into traditionalcleansing instruments. There are also at least two other sources ofdifficulty typically encountered with such liquid cleansers: poor lathereffects and physically unstable product.

The present invention allows for the use of a selected hydrophobicsponge with a lathering cleansing and moisturizing liquid cleansercontaining an effective amount of a hydrophilic, oily or hydrophobicmoisturizer and mixtures thereof.

The present invention allows for the use of higher levels of humectantsin a "cleansing and moisturizing" lathering liquid to provide acleansing system which is better lathering, milder and more effectivethan the prior art kits.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

One object of this invention is to provide a personal cleansing kitwhich cleans, lathers well, conditions and moisturizes the skin.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved cleansingsystem which cleans the skin with lather and which moisturizes the skinin a single washing and rinsing step.

A further object is to provide an improved method of using a liquidcleansing and moisturizing cleanser system.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cleansingsystem which is milder to the skin with improved lather vs. the priorart.

These and other objects of the present invention will become obviousfrom the detailed description which follows.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an ultra-mild, good lathering cleansing systemand kit for cleansing the skin comprising a hydrophobic diamond-meshpolymeric hand held bath sponge and a mild lathering cleansing andmoisturizing liquid cleansing composition suitable for cleansing theskin with good lather and at the same time moisturizing of the skin inbath or shower.

The mesh sponge and the cleansing and moisturizing liquid cleanser arepackaged together as in a kit or system. The liquid cleanser ispreferably contained in its own container within the kit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective representation of a diamond-mesh polymeric handheld ball-like bath sponge showing a rope handle 7 used in the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another hand held bath polymeric meshsponge illustrating how it can be held in the hand.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section illustrating a singlesheet of a polymeric netting mesh stretched perpendicular to thefilaments to show the bonding of the filaments and a representativespacing of the bonds.

The ease with which a cleaning polymeric mesh sponge can be held in thehand for cleaning is shown in FIG. 2. A security band 13 holds themulti-layered netting mesh together to form the polymeric mesh sponge.

The netting mesh that can be used in making the polymeric mesh sponge isillustrated in FIG. 3 wherein 21 represents the mesh in stretchedposition. The fine polymeric filaments used in making the netting arerepresented by 18 with 19 representing the spot bonding of the filamentsto form the open mesh 20.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The Personal Cleansing System

This invention is a kit or system that includes a hydrophobicdiamond-mesh hand held bath sponge and a cleansing and moisturizingliquid cleansing composition. The system is used for cleansing the skinwith a mild liquid cleanser with good lather while "conditioning" or"moisturizing" the skin as it cleans in the bath or shower. The need touse a separate lotion or oil on the skin after the bath or shower isgreatly reduced. Thus, the liquid is called a "cleansing andmoisturizing" cleanser and the package with the mesh sponge is calledherein a mild lathering cleansing and moisturizing personal cleansingkit. The mesh sponge and the cleansing and moisturizing cleanser arepackaged together in a kit.

The liquid cleanser is usually contained in a separate container in anamount large enough for several uses with the mesh sponge.

The personal bath or shower body cleansing system comprising:

(A) a light weight polymeric meshed personal cleansing hand held sponge;said polymeric mesh sponge being in a form suitable for use as a handheld cleansing implement, said hand held sponge having a diameter offrom about two (2) inches to about eight (8) inches (5.08 cm. to about20.32 cm.); preferably the polymeric meshed personal cleansing hand heldpolymeric mesh sponge is made of polyethylene diamond mesh and has adiameter of from 3 to 5 inches (7.62 cm. to about 12.7 cm.) and

(B) a liquid cleanser having: (1) an effective amount of a skinconditioning and moisturizing ingredient; and (2) an effective amount ofa surfactant selected from soap and synthetic surfactants and mixturesthereof; preferably the skin conditioning and moisturizing ingredient isselected from the group consisting of oils, cationic and nonionicpolymers, and mixtures thereof; and said surfactant selected from mildsoaps and mild synthetic surfactants and mixtures thereof; andpreferably said cleansing and moisturizing liquid cleanser (1) alsocontains from about 0.5% to about 10% by weight of said liquid cleanserof a skin conditioner selected from the group consisting of esters offatty acids; glycerin mono-, di-, and tri-esters; epidermal andsebaceous hydrocarbons such as cholesterol, cholesterol esters,squalene, squalane; lanolin and derivatives; mineral oil, silicone oil,silicone gum, and vegetable oil, and mixtures thereof; and preferablysaid liquid cleanser contains from about 0.7% to about 4% of anemulsified petrolatum which has a melting point of from about 50° C. toabout 60° C.

The Polymeric Mesh Sponge and the Cleansing and Moisturizing LiquidCleanser

The polymeric mesh sponge and the otherwise low lathering cleansing andmoisturizing liquid cleanser together provide a superior cleansing skincare system vs. the prior art. The cleansing and moisturizing (2-in-1)liquid cleanser provides "moisturization" via deposition of a oilymaterial in the 2-in-1 liquid cleanser on the skin surface whichmaterial is known to improve skin condition and at a level thatsurpasses the threshold for a noticeable benefit. It has now beendiscovered that this can be accomplished by the present invention.

It has been found that this cleaning system, comprising a polymericdiamond-mesh bath sponge used in combination with a cleansing andmoisturizing liquid cleanser, provides many unexpected advantages overthe prior known systems. The present system for example possesses theability to provide both excellent lathering cleaning action and skinconditioning action in one step, so it is not necessary to utilize twoseparate products for both such actions. In addition, the polymeric meshsponge possesses a hydrophobic mesh netting surface which allows thecleaning solutions used in the cleaning and gentle scrubbing action torich lather, but also permits the moisturizing materials to deposit andthereby condition the skin. These special advantages allow the system tobe mild with unexpectedly excellent lather vs. the known prior artcleansing kits. The present mild cleansing and moisturizing liquidcleanser with the mesh sponge is superior to the same cleansing andmoisturizing liquid cleanser used with a regular sponge in terms oflather as well as over all acceptability by a majority of experimentalusers.

The cleaning polymeric mesh sponge can be prepared from readilyavailable raw materials or with specially designed mesh materials. Thepolymeric mesh sponge is preferably prepared from extruded tubularnetting mesh which has been prepared from special strong and flexiblepolymeric material. Extruded tubular netting mesh of this type, andparticularly those prepared from polyethylene, have been used for thecovering of meat and poultry and are readily available in industry.

The polymeric mesh sponge comprises a plurality of plys of an extrudedtubular netting mesh prepared from a strong flexible polymer, preferablyof the group consisting of addition polymers of olefin monomers, andpolyamides of polycarboxylic acids and polyamines, said plys of tubularnetting mesh are folded upon itself numerous times to form a softball-like polymeric mesh sponge.

The tubes or stripes of netted mesh polymer can be securely attached bymeans of a nylon band or suitable closure. This type of polymeric meshsponge is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,135, Jul. 31, 1984, toSanford, incorporated herein by reference.

An example of a hand-held ball-like polymeric mesh sponge is disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,744, to Campagnoli, Sep. 8, 1992, incorporatedherein by reference. It is a diamond-mesh polyethylene sponge obtainedfrom a number of netting tubes stretched over supports, joined and boundtogether at the center and then released from the supports.

Commercially available "polymeric mesh sponges" are sold by The BodyShop and Bynum Concepts, Inc.

The following are some specifications for suitable bath polyethylenepolymeric mesh sponges:

    ______________________________________    Size Dia.             Tubes   Ea. Length  Total Length                                         Wt gm.    ______________________________________    3"       2       60 cm       120 cm  15    4"       4       50 cm       200 cm  23    5"       4       80 cm       320 cm  37    ______________________________________     One (1") inch = 2.54 cm.; 3" = 3 × 2.54 = cm.; 4" = 4 × 2.54     cm.; etc.

FIG. 1 is a perspective representation of a diamond-mesh polymeric handheld ball-like bath sponge showing a rope handle 7 used in the presentinvention. The ease with which a cleaning polymeric mesh sponge can beheld in the hand for cleaning is shown in FIG. 2. A security band 13holds the multi-layered netting mesh together to form the polymeric meshsponge. The netting mesh that can be used in making the polymeric meshsponge is illustrated in FIG. 3 wherein 21 represents the mesh instretched position. The fine polymeric filaments used in making thenetting are represented by 18 with 19 representing the spot bonding ofthe filaments to form the open mesh 20.

Two 2 netting tubes at 60 cm length each can be used to make a 3-inchball sponge. They can be bundled manually with a loop or rope to form aball-like polymeric mesh sponge. Other designs such as rectangulargloves and washings implements made with the mesh material also workvery well in the system of the present invention by increasing thelather of normally lower lathering cleansing and moisturizing liquidcleansers. Some examples of such cleaning implements are the subjects oftwo U.S. patent applications of Girardot et al., filed Mar. 31, 1994,Ser. No. 08/221,428, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,452 and Ser. No.08/221,430, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,830, incorporated herein byreference.

The Cleansing and Moisturizing Liquid Cleanser

The term "cleansing and moisturizing liquid" or 2-in-1 liquid cleanseras used herein includes lathering liquids and semi-solid creams whichcontain both a lathering ingredient and a moisturizing agent.

A preferred cleansing and moisturizing personal cleansing liquid productcomprises: (a) from about 0.1% to about 20% of anionic surfactant; (b)from about 0.1% to about 20% of amphoteric surfactant; (c) from about0.5% to about 25% of a vegetable oil adduct, minors and; (d) balancewater.

The anionic surfactant and amphoteric surfactant together can comprisefrom about 0.5% to about 30% by weight of the composition; a preferredweight ratio of anionic surfactant:amphoteric surfactant is in the rangefrom about 1:5 to about 20:1.

A preferred vegetable oil adduct can be made by Diels-Alder addition ofa conjugated, elaidinized form of the vegetable oil with acrylic acid,fumaric acid or maleic anhydride. The preferred adduct is maleatedsoybean oil. The compositions provide excellent-in-use and efficacybenefits including cleansing and lathering as well as improved mildnessand skin conditioning.

Another preferred cleansing and moisturizing cleansing composition cancontain ingredients selected from the group consisting of: (a) 8% to 35%polyol; (b) 35% to 70%; preferably 40% to 65% water; (c) 5% to 20%,preferably 7% to 19%, of mostly insoluble saturated (low IV of zero to15) C₈ -C₂₂ fatty acid potassium soap; (d) 0.1% to 7%, preferably 0.5 to5%, of free C₈ -C₂₂ fatty acids; and (e) 0.5% to 5%, preferably 0.7% toabout 4.5% petrolatum, and mixtures thereof.

The polyol is selected from the group consisting of: glycerin, glycerol,propylene glycol, polypropylene glycols, polyethylene glycols, ethylhexanediol, hexylene glycols, and other aliphatic alcohols; and mixturesthereof. When propylene glycol is used as a moisturizer, it is used at alevel of at least 5%. The polyols are preferably used at levels of fromabout 10-30%.

The liquid cleanser can contain from about 0.5% to about 15% of alipophilic emollient moisturizer selected from the group consisting of:petrolatum; esters of fatty acids; glycerin mono-, di-, and tri-esters;epidermal and sebaceous hydrocarbons such as cholesterol, cholesterolesters, squalane; silicone oils and gums; mineral oil; lanolin andderivatives and the like; and mixtures thereof.

A preferred improved stable product with a moisturizing benefit isachieved with the incorporation of larger sized petrolatum particlesinto selected fatty acid/soap matrixes. The larger sized petrolatumparticles will vary for a liquid or semi-solid. The key is to select thefatty acid and/or soap matrix as exemplified herein, and mix in thepetrolatum using a minimal controlled amount of shear to maintain largerpetrolatum particles and achieve a homogeneous stable product, e.g., animproved benefit is also achieved in a semi-solid cleansing cream.

Any fatty acid matter (free and neutralized) used in the liquid cleanserpreferably has an Iodine Value (I.V.) of from zero to about 15,preferably below 10, more preferably below 3.

Lathering Soap and/or Synthetic Surfactant

The personal bath or shower body cleansing system preferably comprisesfrom about 0.5% to about 30% of lathering surfactant having a latheringgrade at least as well as C16 alkyl glyceryl ether sulfonate. Thepreferred cleansing and moisturizing composition contains from about 1%to about 25%, preferably from about 5 to about 25%, or 10-20% of alathering soap and/or synthetic surfactant. A preferred surfactant isselected from mild soaps and mild synthetic surfactants and mixturesthereof. Examples of these are mild soaps and surfactants are shown inthe Examples herein.

The soaps are preferably those derived from essentially saturatedhydrocarbon having chain lengths of from about 8 to about 22. It ispreferred that the soap be the potassium salt, but other soluble soapscan be used. Some sodium, ammonium, triethanolammonium, and/or mixturesthereof, are deemed acceptable, at least in potassium blends. The soapsare preferably prepared in-situ by neutralization of the correspondingfatty acids, but they may also be introduced as preformed soaps.

The preferred liquid soap is called a dispersoid because at least someof the fatty matter at the levels used herein is insoluble. The level ofwater in the compositions is typically from about 35% to about 70%,preferably from about 40% to about 65%.

Another important attribute of the preferred liquid soap of the presentinvention is it is phase stable, particularly after storage.

An important attribute of the preferred soap personal cleansing productof the present invention is its rich and creamy lather.

An important component of liquid cleansers is a lather boostingsurfactant. The surfactant, which may be selected from any of a widevariety of anionic (soaps and nonsoap), amphoteric, zwitterionic,nonionic and, in certain instances, cationic surfactants, is present atsaid levels.

It is noted that surfactant mildness can be measured by a skin barrierdestruction test which is used to assess the irritancy potential ofsurfactants. In this test the milder the surfactant, the lesser the skinbarrier is destroyed. Skin barrier destruction is measured by therelative amount of radio-labeled water (³ H--H₂ O) which passes from thetest solution through the skin epidermis into the physiological buffercontained in the diffusate chamber. This test is described by T. J.Franz in the J. Invest. Dermatol., 1975, 64, pp. 190-195; and in U.S.Pat. No. 4,673,525, Small et al., issued Jun. 16, 1987, incorporatedherein by reference, and which disclose a mild alkyl glyceryl ethersulfonate (AGS) surfactant based synbar comprising a "standard" alkylglyceryl ether sulfonate mixture. Barrier destruction testing is used toselect mild surfactants.

The liquid composition preferably comprises a lathering surfactantselected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, nonionicsurfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, andmixtures thereof.

The lathering surfactant is defined herein as a synthetic surfactant ormixes thereof that when combined have an equilibrium surface tension ofbetween 15 and 50 dynes/cm, more preferably between 20 and 45 dynes/cmas measured at the CMC (critical micelle concentration) at 25° C. Somesurfactant mixes can have surface tensions lower than of its components.

Some examples of good lather-enhancing, mild detergent surfactants aree.g., sodium or potassium lauroyl sarcosinate, alkyl glyceryl ethersulfonate, sulfonated fatty esters, and sulfonated fatty acids. Thus, ahigh lathering surfactant is defined herein as one which lathers on theorder of C16 alkyl glyceryl ether sulfonate or better. For a lathervolume test, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,145, to French et al., Nov. 23,1993, incorporated herein by reference.

Numerous examples of other surfactants are disclosed in the literature:they include other alkyl sulfates, anionic acyl sarcosinates, methylacyl taurates, N-acyl glutamates, acyl isethionates, alkylsulfosuccinates, alkyl phosphate esters, ethoxylated alkyl phosphateesters, trideceth sulfates, protein condensates, mixtures of ethoxylatedalkyl sulfates and alkyl amine oxides, betaines, sultaines, and mixturesthereof. Included in the surfactants are the alkyl ether sulfates with 1to 12 ethoxy groups, especially ammonium and sodium lauryl ethersulfates.

Many additional nonsoap surfactants are described in McCUTCHEON'S,DETERGENTS AND EMULSIFIERS, 1993 Edition, published by MC PublishingCo., which is incorporated here by reference.

The above-mentioned surfactants can be used in the cleansing bath/showercompositions of the present invention. The anionic surfactants,particularly the alkyl sulfates, the ethoxylated alkyl sulfates andmixtures thereof are preferred. More preferred are C₁₂ -C₁₄ alkylanionic surfactants selected from the group consisting of sodium alkylglycerol ether sulfonate, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, sodium alkylsulfate, sodium ethoxy (3) alkyl sulfate, and mixtures thereof

Nonionic surfactants can be broadly defined as compounds produced by thecondensation of alkylene oxide groups (hydrophilic in nature) with anorganic hydrophobic compound, which may be aliphatic or alkyl aromaticin nature.

The pH of the neat cleansing bath/shower liquid soap compositions hereinis generally from about 7.0 to about 9.5, preferably from about 7.5 toabout 9 as measured at 25° C. The pH of the liquid synthetic surfactantcomposition is about 4 to 8, preferably 4.5 to 7.

The cleansing and moisturizing liquid cleanser preferably has anapparent or neat viscosity of from about 500 cps to about 60,000 cps at26.7° C., preferably 5,000 to 30,000 cps. The term "viscosity" as usedherein means the viscosity as measured by a Brookfield RVTDCP with aspindle CP-41 at 1 RPM for 3 minutes, unless otherwise specified. The"neat" viscosity is the viscosity of the undiluted liquid cleanser.

Skin Conditioner or Moisturizer

Skin conditioner or moisturizer deposition from a cleansing system ismeasured by one of two protocols, both are modeled after how skincleansing products are typically used by consumers. One protocol is done"in vitro", while the second is done "in vivo".

In the in vitro protocol, a model skin substrate is used which is acollagen sheet that has a surface topography similar to human skin andhas been prehydrated. Small pieces of the substrated are mounted overflask openings to secure them for exposure to lather. The lather isgenerated in the palms of hands, the polymeric mesh sponge or othercleansing implement, using the following controlled procedure: one gramof product plus 3 ml of water for 10 seconds. The mounted substrate isthen exposed to the combined lather by overturning the flask and rubbingit on the palm of the hand, etc. This lathering process is continued for10 seconds and, after allowing the lather to remain on the substrate for5 seconds, it is rinsed with warm tap water for 10 seconds. The exposedskin substrate is then cut from the mount and dried prior to analysis.The analysis procedure is to submerge the substrate in 1:1ethanol:heptane if petrolatum is measured or another solvent for othermoisturizers and then analyze this extract by standard gaschromatographic methods.

The in vivo protocol is similar to the in vitro one described above,except the lather generated in the polymeric mesh sponge (or the palm ofthe hand) is applied to the opposite forearm. The time that the latherremains on the forearm is 30 seconds (compared to the 5 seconds on thecollagen substrate). The deposited conditioner is then extracted bystrapping an open-ended glass cylinder to the forearm and adding theappropriate solvent to this cylinder. As above, the extract is thenanalyzed according to standard gas chromatographic methods.

The cleansing bath/shower compositions can contain a variety ofnonessential optional ingredients suitable for rendering suchcompositions more desirable. Such conventional optional ingredients arewell known to those skilled in the art, e.g., preservatives such asbenzyl alcohol, methyl paraben, propyl paraben and imidazolidinyl urea;other thickeners and viscosity modifiers such as C₈ -C₁₈ ethanolamide(e.g., coconut ethanolamide); pH adjusting agents such as citric acid,succinic acid, phosphoric acid, sodium hydroxide, etc.; suspendingagents such as magnesium/aluminum silicate; perfumes; dyes; andsequestering agents such as disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate.

If present, the optional components individually generally comprise fromabout 0.001% to about 10% by weight of the composition, but can be moreor less.

Optional thickeners are categorized as cationic, nonionic, or anionicand are selected to provide the desired viscosity. Suitable thickenersare listed in the Glossary and Chapters 3, 4, 12 and 13 of the Handbookof Water-Soluble Gums and Resins, Robert L. Davidson, McGraw-Hill BookCo., New York, N.Y., 1980, incorporated by reference herein.

The liquid personal cleansing products can be thickened by usingpolymeric additives that hydrate, swell or molecularly associate toprovide body (e.g., hydroxypropyl guar gum is used as a thickening aidin shampoo compositions).

A suitable thickener is hydroxy ethyl cellulose, e.g., NatrosolR 250 KRsold by The Aqualon Company.

Another thickener is acrylated steareth-20 methylacrylate copolymer soldas Acrysol ICS-1 by Rohm and Haas Company.

The amount of polymeric thickener found useful in the presentcompositions is about 0.1% to about 2%, preferably from about 0.2% toabout 1.0%.

The liquid cleanser can be made with from about 0.1% to about 5%,preferably from about 0.3% to about 3%, of a skin moisturizing cationicpolymer selected from the group consisting of: cationic polysaccharidesand derivatives, cationic copolymers of saccharides and syntheticmonomers, synthetic copolymers and cationic protein derivatives.

Making a Soap-based Cleansing and Moisturizing Liquid Cleanser

Most methods of making cleansing and moisturizing liquid cleansers forthe present invention use standard industry equipment. For example, ageneral process for a 6000 gram size batch using a 4.5 gallon jacketedtank agitated by a Lightning Mixer (Model TS2010) fitted with a threeprong propeller size agitator with blades measuring one inch. However,mixing times will vary with equipment, batch size, etc.

1. The fatty acids (the oil phase), antimicrobial (if added), etc. isadded to a sanitary agitated and jacketed stainless steel vessel;

2. The oil phase is heated to about 80° C.

3. Polyol liquids (e.g., propylene glycol) and some surfactant are addedto the heated oil phase.

4. In a separate container, a water phase is prepared containingpolymers, polyol liquids (e.g., glycerin), and water, and heated to 80°C. with agitation.

5. The appropriate base (e.g., potassium hydroxide) for an in situ soapformation is added and mixed into the oil phase.

6. Next, the water phase is added and mixed to the oil phase/soapvessel.

7. Glycol ester is melted and mixed into (6) at about 80° C.

8. Any additional surfactant is added to (7) at about 80° C.

9. The product of (8) is cooled to about 45° C. at which time otherminors such as preservatives and perfumes can be added.

10. The conditioner, e.g., petrolatum is added and mixed to (9) at atemperature of between about 35° C. to about 45° C. or about or at atemperature below its melting point.

Alternatively, the product of Step 9 may stand prior to adding materialssuch as petrolatum. In case of the product standing, the product of Step9 is reheated to about 35° C., before the petrolatum is added.

In the method of making the product of this invention, the largepetrolatum particle size is controlled by mix time and additiontemperature. The shorter the mix time and the lower the temperature, thehigher the proportion of larger petrolatum emollient particles isachieved.

A preferred allowed mild liquid personal cleanser is disclosed inallowed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/909,834, filed Jul. 7, 1992,Dias, et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,526, incorporated herein byreference.

The cleansing bath/shower compositions can contain a variety ofnonessential optional ingredients suitable for rendering suchcompositions more desirable. Such conventional optional ingredients arewell known to those skilled in the art, e.g., preservatives such asbenzyl alcohol, methyl paraben, propyl paraben and imidazolidinyl urea;other thickeners and viscosity modifiers such as C₈ -C₁₈ ethanolamide(e.g., coconut ethanolamide); pH adjusting agents such as citric acid,succinic acid, phosphoric acid, sodium hydroxide, etc.; suspendingagents such as magnesium/aluminum silicate; perfumes; dyes; andsequestering agents such as disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate.

Making a Preferred Cleansing and Moisturizing Liquid Cleanser

This method comprises the following steps:

a) Forming an aqueous phase comprising from about 0.1% to about 50% byweight of final composition of surfactant;

b) Forming a first oil phase comprising from about 0.5% to about 10% byweight of final composition of nonionic emollient oil or wax other thanthe vegetable oil adduct;

c) Forming a second oil phase comprising from about 0.5% to about 25%,preferably from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of final compositionof the vegetable oil adduct;

d) Premixing the first oil phase and the aqueous surfactant phase toform an emulsion of the first oil phase in water; and

e) Thereafter admixing the second oil phase with the oil-in-wateremulsion of step (d), thereby forming an emulsion of the second oilphase in the preformed oil-in-water emulsion of the first oil phase.

The following personal bath or shower body cleanser kit is highlypreferred one. The preferred 2-in-1 liquid cleanser comprises:

    ______________________________________    Ingredients in parts by wt.    of the liquid cleanser:                         from   to    ______________________________________    Water                55     60    Cocoamphoacetate/    4      8    Cocoamphodiacetate    Sodium Laureth-3 Sulfate                         10     15    Alkylpolysaccharide  0      3    Coconut monoethanol  2      3    amide    Soybean Oil          7      9    Maleated Soybean Oil 1      4    Polymer JR30         0.2    0.6    PEG(6) Caprylic/     3      5    Caprylglycerate    Myristic Acid        0      3    Palm Kernel Acid     2      0    Glycerine            2      4    Titanium Dioxide     0      0.2    Perfume              1      2    Preservative         0.1    0.3    ______________________________________

This liquid cleanser with moisturizer is contained in a separatedispenser for periodic dispensing a portion of the 2-in-1 cleanser ontoa mesh sponge as shown in FIG. 1 for use in bath or shower.

EXAMPLES

The following examples of cleansing and moisturizing liquid cleansersand the specific meshed sponges are illustrative and are not intended tolimit the scope of the invention(s). The preferred method of making thecleansing and moisturizing liquid cleansing compositions of the presentinvention is set out above. All levels, ranges, temperatures, results,etc., used herein are approximations, unless otherwise specified. Allformula percentages are expressed as a weight percentage of the liquidcleanser unless otherwise specified.

Examples 1-6

Examples 1-6 are cleansing and moisturizing liquid compositions whichdemonstrate varying levels and types of conditioner(s) and varyinglevels of soap and/or surfactant. Example 6 is a highly preferredcleansing and moisturizing liquid cleanser. A polyethylene-meshed handheld sponge as shown in FIG. 1 is a preferred polymeric mesh sponge forthe present system.

    ______________________________________    EXAMPLES       1      2         3    4    ______________________________________    Ingredients:    Water          42.36  49.0      40.6 49.0    Stearic Acid   0.67   0.22      0.67 0.22    Palmitic Acid  1.13   0.38      1.13 0.38    Myristic Acid  1.35   0.45      1.35 0.45    Lauric Acid    1.35   0.45      1.35 0.45    In Situ potassium soap                   15.0   17.0      11.0 17.0    Glycerin       15.0   15.0      15.0 15.0    Propylene Glycol                   10.0   7.0       10.0 7.0    Na.sub.5 Pentetate                   0.02   0.02      0.02 0.02    Na.sub.4 Etidronate                   0.02   0.02      0.02 0.02    Sodium Lauroyl 6.0    6.0       6.0  6.0    Sarcosinate    Sodium Laureth Sulfate                   0.67   --        2.0  --    Coco Amido Propyl                   1.33   1.33      4.0  --    Betaine    Cetyl Ricinoleate                   --     --        --   0.75    Polyquaternium-10                   0.8    0.6       1.0  0.6    Fragrance      0.5    0.6       0.6  0.6    Ethyleneglycol Distearate                   1.5    1.0       1.5  1.0    Preservatives  0.8    0.8       0.8  0.8    Petrolatum     1.5    1.5       3.0  0.75    ______________________________________

The stable liquid cleansers of Examples 1-4 are prepared in accordancewith a method set out above. Care is taken to add the petrolatum in Step10 at a temperature below its melting point (MP), using gentle mixing toensure large petrolatum particles, preferably having weight averagesizes over 45 microns.

    ______________________________________    EXAMPLES           5      6    ______________________________________    Ingredients:    Water              57.9   55.70    Cocoamphoacetate/  6.0    6.0    Cocoamphodiacetate    Sodium Laureth-3 Sulfate                       12.0   12.0    Alkylpolysaccharide                       0.00   2.00    Coconut monoethanol                       2.80   2.80    amide    Soybean Oil        8.00   8.00    Maleated Soybean Oil                       2.00   2.00    Polymer JR30       0.40   0.40    PEG(6) Caprylic/   4.00   4.00    Caprylglycerate    Myristic Acid      0.00   2.00    Palm Kernel Acid   1.80   0.00    Glycerine          3.00   3.00    Titanium Dioxide   0.10   0.10    Perfume            1.80   1.80    Preservative       0.20   0.20    ______________________________________

Mildness and Lather Results

The Mildness Protocol. Human subjects precondition their legs with anall soap bar by washing twice a day for seven days. Treatments areapplied daily for 5 consecutive days. On each day, skin dryness gradescan be taken before treatment (to measure chronic effects) and 60minutes after treatment (measure acute effects).

On each day of the test, three 12.5 cm² sites are treated on each of thesubjects. Three treatments are assigned using a Latin square design,which takes into account baseline site-to-site differences in skincondition within each subject.

The treatments are:

I. A mild syndet bar.

II. A mild syndet bar plus a moisturizing lotion applied after washing.

III. A cleansing and moisturizing liquid cleanser, Example 6, used witha polymeric mesh sponge as shown in FIG. 1.

IV. A cleansing and moisturizing liquid cleanser, Example 6, used with aregular closed-cell sponge.

Mildness Results

Treatment III represents the "System" of the present invention.Treatment III is the 2-in-1 liquid cleanser Example 6 used with a"polymeric mesh sponge" as show in FIG. 1.

Treatment II is a mild syndet bar plus a lotion. It is a very mildtreatment because the lotion is applied directly to the skin afterwashing. This is not a 2-in-1 cleansing and moisturizing treatment, butis used as a control. Note, however, that many people do not use amoisturizer after bathing or showering. The 2-in-1 cleanser is alwaysmilder than the mild syndet bar alone.

Treatment III, the 2-in-1 liquid cleanser, Example 6, used with the meshsponge, is significantly milder than the mild syndet bar alone, i.e.,without the lotion in chronic mildness and equal to it in acute mildness

Treatment III has improved overall acceptability over Treatment IV, thecleansing and moisturizing liquid cleanser, Example 6, used with aregular sponge. See for example the comparative lather results below.

Lather Test Protocol for Mesh Sponge vs. Regular Sponge Systems

Expert lather graders are asked to successively lather a 2-in-1 formula(Example 6) with the mesh sponge (FIG. 1) and with a regular closed-cellsponge. The order is randomized. The expert lather graders are asked torate the two systems for lather on a -3/+3 scale.

1. Start test on left forearm with sponge A (or B).

2. Wet cleansing sponge for 5 seconds under 95 degree running water.

3. Put one pump of product (3 cc) on to the wet sponge.

4. Squeeze sponge 10 times using both hands to generate lather.

5. Wet forearm under running water.

6. Lather forearm with sponge using an up and down motion for 10seconds.

7. Evaluate the lather on forearm using a -3 to +3 scale.

8. Repeat entire procedure on right arm with sponge B (or A).

Lather Results

The results shown in the Table indicate that the 2-in-1 formula (Example6) lathers more quickly and produces more lather when used incombination with the mesh sponge than it does with a regular closed-cellsponge.

    ______________________________________    Lather Results Table                 Regular Sponge                           Mesh Sponge    ______________________________________    Lather Quickly/Easily                   -0.80       +2.50    Amount of Lather                   -0.79       +2.25    ______________________________________

The system of the present invention has improved lather grades as shownin the Lather Results Table. The significance is calculated at 95%confidence. In other words, the 2-in-1 liquid cleanser used with ameshed polymeric mesh sponge has unexpected and superior lather andoverall acceptability over the 2-in-1 liquid cleanser used with aregular sponge.

The present system of cleansing body skin using a cleansing andmoisturizing liquid cleanser and the polymeric mesh sponge has improvedlather and overall unexpected and surprising advantages over prior artsystems.

What is claimed is:
 1. A personal bath or shower body cleansing systemcomprising:(A) a light weight personal cleansing hand held sponge; saidhand held sponge having a diameter of from about two (2) inches to abouteight (8) inches (5.08 cm. to about 20.32 cm.) wherein said hand heldsponge is a hydrophobic polymeric netted mesh; and (B) a cleansing andmoisturizing liquid composition comprising:(1) from about 0.5% to about33.5% by weight of a skin conditioner ingredient wherein at least about0.5% to about 15%, by weight of the composition, of the skin conditioneringredient is a lipophilic skin conditioning ingredient; and (2) fromabout 0.5% to about 30% by weight of a lathering surfactant or mixtureof surfactants having an equilibrium surface tension ranging from about15 to about 50 dynes/cm as measured at the critical micelleconcentration at 25° C.; and (3) balance water.
 2. A personal bath orshower body cleansing and lathering product comprising:(a) a personalcleansing implement comprising a hydrophobic polymeric netted mesh; and(b) a cleansing and moisturizing liquid composition comprising:(1) fromabout 0.5% to about 33.5% by weight of a skin conditioner ingredientwherein at least about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of the composition,of the skin conditioner ingredient is a lipophilic skin conditioningingredient; and (2) from about 0.5% to about 30% by weight of alathering surfactant or mixture of surfactants having an equilibriumsurface tension ranging from about 15 to about 50 dynes/cm as measuredat the critical micelle concentration at 25° C.; and (3) balance water.3. A personal bath or shower body cleansing and lathering productaccording to claim 2 comprising a kit, wherein said kit comprises thepersonal cleansing implement and the cleansing and moisturizing liquidcomposition.
 4. The personal bath or shower body cleansing and latheringkit of claim 3 wherein the lipophilic skin conditioning ingredient isselected from the group consisting of esters of fatty acids, glycerinmono-esters, glycerin di-esters, glycerin trimesters, epidermal andsebaceous hydrocarbons, lanolin, mineral oil, silicone oil, siliconegum, vegetable oil, petrolatum, vegetable oil adduct, and mixturesthereof.
 5. The personal bath or shower body cleansing and lathering kitof claim 4 wherein the cleansing and moisturizing liquid compositioncomprises from 0.5% to 25% by weight of the skin conditioner ingredient.6. The personal bath or shower body cleansing and lathering kit of claim5 wherein said cleansing and moisturizing liquid composition has a neatviscosity of from about 500 cps to about 60,000 cps at 26.7° C.
 7. Thepersonal bath or shower body cleansing and lathering kit of claim 6wherein the skin conditioner ingredient is selected from the groupconsisting of cationic and nonionic polymers, polyols selected from thegroup consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, polypropylene glycols,polyethylene glycols, ethyl hexanediol, hexylene glycols, and mixturesthereof.
 8. The personal bath or shower body cleansing and lathering kitof claim 7 wherein the lathering surfactant comprises from about 0.1% toabout 20% by weight of anionic surfactant and from about 0.1% to about20% by weight of amphoteric surfactant; wherein the anionic surfactantand the amphoteric surfactant together comprise from about 0.5% to about30% by weight of the composition; and wherein the weight ratio ofanionic surfactant:amphoteric surfactant ranges from about 1:5 to about20:1.
 9. A personal bath or shower body cleansing and lathering productaccording to claim 2 wherein the cleansing and moisturizing liquidcomposition is combined with the polymeric netted mesh personalcleansing implement.
 10. The personal bath or shower body cleansing andlathering product of claim 9 wherein the lipophilic skin conditioningingredient is selected from the group consisting of esters of fattyacids, glycerin mono-esters, glycerin di-esters, glycerin trimesters,epidermal and sebaceous hydrocarbons, lanolin, mineral oil, siliconeoil, silicone gum, vegetable oil, petrolatum, vegetable oil adduct, andmixtures thereof.
 11. The personal bath or shower body cleansing andlathering product of claim 10 wherein the cleansing and moisturizingliquid composition comprises from 0.5% to 25% by weight of the skinconditioner ingredient.
 12. The personal bath or shower body cleansingand lathering product of claim 11 wherein said cleansing andmoisturizing liquid composition has a neat viscosity of from about 500cps to about 60,000 cps at 26.7° C.
 13. The personal bath or shower bodycleansing and lathering product of claim 12 wherein the skin conditioneringredient is selected from the group consisting of cationic andnonionic polymers, polyols selected from the group consisting ofglycerin, propylene glycol, polypropylene glycols, polyethylene glycols,ethyl hexanediol, hexylene glycols, and mixtures thereof.
 14. Thepersonal bath or shower body cleansing and lathering product of claim 13wherein the lathering surfactant comprises from about 0.1% to about 20%by weight of anionic surfactant and from about 0.1% to about 20% byweight of amphoteric surfactant; wherein the anionic surfactant and theamphoteric surfactant together comprise from about 0.5% to about 30% byweight of the composition; and wherein the weight ratio of anionicsurfactant:amphoteric surfactant ranges from about 1:5 to about 20:1.15. A method of cleaning and moisturizing the skin comprising applying acleansing and moisturizing liquid composition to the skin and using ahydrophobic polymeric netted mesh personal cleansing implement to createa lather, wherein said cleansing and moisturizing liquid compositioncomprises: (1) from about 0.5% to about 33.5% by weight of the liquidcomposition of a skin conditioner ingredient wherein at least about 0.5%to about 15%, by weight of the composition, of the skin conditioneringredient is a lipophilic skin conditioning ingredient; (2) from about0.5% to about 30% by weight of the liquid composition of a latheringsurfactant or mixture of surfactants having an equilibrium surfacetension ranging from about 15 to about 50 dynes/cm as measured at thecritical micelle concentration at 25° C.; and 3) balance water.
 16. Amethod of cleaning and moisturizing the skin according to claim 15wherein the lipophilic skin conditioning ingredient is selected from thegroup consisting of esters of fatty acids, glycerin mono-esters,glycerin di-esters, glycerin tri-esters, epidermal and sebaceoushydrocarbons, lanolin, mineral oil, silicone oil, silicone gum,vegetable oil, petrolatum, vegetable oil adduct, cationic polymer andmixtures and derivatives thereof.
 17. A method of cleaning andmoisturizing the skin according to claim 16 wherein the cleansing andmoisturizing liquid composition comprises from about 0.5% to about 25%by weight of the skin conditioner ingredient.
 18. The method of claim 17wherein said cleansing and moisturizing liquid composition has a neatviscosity of from about 500 cps to about 60,000 cps at 26.7° C.
 19. Themethod of claim 18 wherein the skin conditioner ingredient is selectedfrom the group consisting of cationic and nonionic polymers, polyolsselected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol,polypropylene glycols, polyethylene glycols, ethyl hexanediol, hexyleneglycols, and mixtures thereof.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein thelathering surfactant comprises from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight ofanionic surfactant and from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight ofamphoteric surfactant; wherein the anionic surfactant and amphotericsurfactant together comprise from about 0.5% to about 30% by weight ofthe liquid composition; and wherein the weight ratio of anionicsurfactant:amphoteric surfactant ranges from about 1:5 to about 20:1.21. A method of cleansing and moisturizing the skin comprising applyinga cleansing and moisturizing liquid composition to a hydrophobicpolymeric netted mesh personal cleansing implement, working thecleansing and moisturizing liquid composition into a lather, andapplying the lathered composition to the skin with the personalcleansing implement; wherein said cleansing and moisturizing liquidcomposition comprises: (1) from about 0.5% to about 33.5% by weight ofthe composition of a skin conditioner ingredient wherein at least about0.5% to about 15%, by weight of the composition, of the skin conditioneringredient is a lipophilic skin conditioning ingredient; (2) from about0.5% to about 30% by weight of the composition of a lathering surfactantor mixture of surfactants having an equilibrium surface tension rangingfrom about 15 to about 50 dynes/cm, as measured at the critical micelleconcentration at 25° C.; and 3) balance water.
 22. A method of cleansingand moisturizing the skin according to claim 21 wherein the lipophilicskin conditioning ingredient is selected from the group consisting ofesters of fatty acids, glycerin mono-esters, glycerin di-esters, andglycerin tri-esters, epidermal and sebaceous hydrocarbons, lanolin,mineral oil, silicone oil, silicone gum, vegetable oil, petrolatum,vegetable oil adduct, and mixtures thereof.
 23. A method of cleansingand moisturizing the skin according to claim 22 wherein the cleansingand moisturizing liquid composition comprises from about 0.5% to about25% by weight of the skin conditioner ingredient.
 24. The method ofclaim 23 wherein said liquid cleansing and moisturizing liquidcomposition has a neat viscosity of from about 500 cps to about 60,000cps at 26.7° C.
 25. The method of claim 24 wherein the skin conditioneringredient is selected from the group consisting of cationic andnonionic polymers, polyols selected from the group consisting ofglycerin, propylene glycol, polypropylene glycols, polyethylene glycols,ethyl hexanediol, hexylene glycols, and mixtures thereof.
 26. The methodof claim 25 wherein the lathering surfactant comprises from about 0.1%to about 20% by weight of anionic surfactant and from about 0.1% toabout 20% by weight of amphoteric surfactant; wherein the anionicsurfactant and amphoteric surfactant together comprise from about 0.5%to about 30% by weight of the composition; and wherein the weight ratioof anionic surfactant:amphoteric surfactant ranges from about 1:5 toabout 20:1.
 27. A method of cleansing and moisturizing the skincomprising applying a cleansing and moisturizing liquid composition to ahydrophobic polymeric netted mesh personal cleansing implement andapplying the composition to the skin with the personal cleansingimplement in a manner to create a lather; wherein said cleansing andmoisturizing liquid composition comprises: (1) from about 0.5% to about33.5% by weight of the composition of a skin conditioner ingredientwherein at least about 0.5% to about 15%, by weight of the composition,of the skin conditioner ingredient is a lipophilic skin conditioningingredient; (2) from about 0.5% to about 30% by weight of thecomposition of a lathering surfactant or mixture of surfactants havingan equilibrium surface tension ranging from about 15 to about 50dynes/cm, as measured at the critical micelle concentration at 25° C.;and 3) balance water.
 28. A method of cleansing and moisturizing theskin according to claim 27 wherein the lipophilic skin conditioningingredient is selected from the group consisting of esters of fattyacids, glycerin mono-esters, glycerin di-esters, glycerin tri-esters,epidermal and sebaceous hydrocarbons, lanolin, mineral oil, siliconeoil, silicone gum, vegetable oil, petrolatum, vegetable oil adduct, andmixtures thereof.
 29. A method of cleansing and moisturizing the skinaccording to claim 28 wherein the cleansing and moisturizing liquidcomposition comprises from about 0.5% to about 25% by weight of the skinconditioner ingredient.
 30. The method of claim 29 wherein saidcleansing and moisturizing liquid composition has a neat viscosity offrom about 500 cps to about 60,000 cps at 26.7° C.
 31. The method ofclaim 30 wherein the skin conditioner ingredient is selected from thegroup consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, polypropylene glycols,polyethylene glycols, ethyl hexanediol, hexylene glycols, and mixturesthereof.
 32. The method of claim 31 wherein the lathering surfactantcomprises from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of anionic surfactantand from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of amphoteric surfactant;wherein the anionic surfactant and amphoteric surfactant togethercomprise from about 0.5% to about 30% by weight of the liquidcomposition; and wherein the weight ratio of anionicsurfactant:amphoteric surfactant ranges from about 1:5 to about 20:1.33. A method of providing improved moisturization benefits to the skinby following the method of claim 15 on a substantially daily basis. 34.A method of providing improved moisturization benefits to the skin byfollowing the method of claim 21 on a substantially daily basis.
 35. Amethod of providing improved moisturization benefits to the skin byfollowing the method of claim 21 on a substantially daily basis.